Tuesday, May 31, 2016

With a diverse service
area roughly the size of Rhode Island, Hillsborough County provides a
great mix of urban, suburban and rural destinations for our riders.
Think about the destinations that you can see and experience with the
HART transportation network!

Route 30 provides service to TIA 7 days a week

This week, we feature Route 30, your link to Tampa International Airport!

Riders have 3 opportunities to transfer with The Westshore Transfer Center (at Westshore Mall) sandwiched between The Northwest Transfer Center on the western end, and Marion Transit Center on the eastern end. Paid transfers are no longer necessary on HART. An all-day pass makes it simpler as it's only $4.00, the cost of (2) one-way fares.

Route 30 is located on the west end of the red baggage claim

As previously mentioned, Route 30 serves Tampa International Airport (TIA)! Riders can pick up Route 30 along Kennedy Blvd., Whiting Street (connection to TECO Line Streetcar System) and Marion Transit Center. Those arriving at TIA, can pick up Route 30 at the west end of the Red Baggage Claim, near Belt #15. One-way fare is only $2.00, making Route 30 a great option for those wanting to save money for their vacation. The service is also great for those not wanting to leave their car at the airport.

Route 30 also serves both of Tampa's destination malls in International Plaza and Bay Street (Spruce St./Westshore Blvd.) and WestShore Plaza (Westshore Blvd./Gray St. or North B. St.). Combined, the malls offer over 300 retailers and some of Tampa's nicer restaurants.

UT students receive 25% off 31-day passes!

Other highlights along the route include service to the The University of Tampa (multiple stops along Kennedy Blvd.). UT students receive 25% off 31-day passes when purchased on campus. Acclaimed coffeehouse, restaurant, and bookstore, Oxford Exchange, is accessible via The Route 30 stop at Kennedy Blvd. and Hyde Park Ave.

South Howard Ave., or SoHo, known for its cluster of restaurants and nightlife is only a short (under 5 minute) walk from the Route 30.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

With a diverse service
area roughly the size of Rhode Island, Hillsborough County provides a
great mix of urban, suburban and rural destinations for our riders.
Think about the destinations that you can see and experience with the
HART transportation network!

Route 19 is our featured Route of the Week!

The Route 19 operates from Marion Transit Center in Downtown, to Idaho and O'Brien St. in South Tampa. Service operates 7 days a week, with weekday service until midnight.

While not the busiest route in the HART system at 18th in ridership, Route 19 still carried almost 439k trips in FY15! That's thousands of cars off our already congested roadways.

Whether for wellness, business, education, or leisure, Route 19 has you covered!

The Route 19 is a crucial commuting tool for healthcare workers, as it is the sole HART route that serves Tampa General Hospital, and one of two routes (the other being HARTFlex South Tampa) to serve Memorial Hospital. Service is tailored to workers at both hospitals, with service beginning at 4:10 a.m. and coverage for workers until roughly 1:00 a.m.

STAY-cation promotion ends June 10th

Two of Hillsborough County's oldest schools are also served by Route 19. Hop off at Dale Mabry Hwy. and San Carlos St. for Plant High School and Manhattan Ave. and Mango St. (or Rembrandt Dr.) for Robinson High School. For a limited time, Hillsborough County middle and high school students ride HART FREE with their valid student, or HART-issued Youth ID. The promotion runs until June 10.

Those looking to transfer to other routes, can do so at Britton Plaza Transfer Center, with connection to 4, 36, HARTFlex South Tampa, and 100X (operated by PSTA).

Riders looking for entertainment have quite the spread to choose from, thanks to Route 19. Known as "America's only thatched roof pub," Four Green Fields has been a South Tampa nightlife landmark for over 20 years.

Looking to bar hop? Route 19 serves a number of restaurants and entertainment destinations in the SoHo District along S. Howard Ave. or, along Swann Ave. in the Hyde Park Village area.

Lightning and music fans will appreciate the connection to Amalie Arena.

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Happy National Bike Month! We're celebrating alternative commutes and looking at the relationship between personal (bikes) and public transportation.

Coast Bikes can be rented from Marion Transit Center

Over the years, bicycles have gone from being seen as a child's toy, to becoming a serious commuting option. Coast Bike Share, a bike rental service, has rolled out dozens of bike hubs throughout Tampa, including at Marion Transit Center in Downtown.

At HART, we're dedicated to getting our riders to their destination as quickly and efficiently as possible. We see bikes as supplemental to our service and that's why we added racks to our buses and rubber-wheeled trolleys almost 20 years ago. More recently, bike racks have also been added to all of our HARTFlex vans.

In November 2011, folding
bikes - in proper carrying bags - were allowed on board.

Bikes on Buses saves time, money and the environment!

Bike riders might not view a 30-mile
round trip bike ride to downtown as an attractive commute. However,
pair a quick 1-2 mile bike ride with a
HART route to pick up the majority of the miles and you have some
serious peddle power.

Cycling HART riders find that
bikes not only speed up their commutes, but also provide them greater
exercise, ground coverage, and route options.

For
example, you might live within walking distance of a route 34 stop,
but possible transfers don't work well with your schedule. Instead, you
choose to bike
to the route 1 stop where you can catch a straight shot to Marion
Transit Center and save 10 minutes. Couple those time savings with the
low-cost of a HART 1-day pass ($4.00) or 31-day pass ($65, $2.10 a day)
and you've saved time, money and the environment!

Don't take our word for it though. Roughly 21,000 participated in our Bikes on Buses program last month.

Click here to learn more about the HART Bikes on Buses program, including how to secure your bike on the bus bike rack. We also have a Bikes on Buses how-to video on our YouTube page here.

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

With a diverse service
area roughly the size of Rhode Island, Hillsborough County provides a
great mix of urban, suburban and rural destinations for our riders.
Think about the destinations that you can see and experience with the
HART transportation network!

At roughly 8.25 miles in length, the Route 16 is one of the shortest routes in the HART system.

The eastbound trip begins at Northwest Transfer Center, with connections to Routes 30, 34, 39, 61lX, HARTFlex Town 'N Country, and The North County Connector, operated by PSTA. The route is fairly direct, with the majority of the route being a straight line down Waters Ave.Some highlights of Route 16 include:

AMC Veterans 24 - Large movie complex that features IMAX movies, as well as, new Hollywood blockbusters and indie films. AMC Veterans 24 is a short walk from the Route 16 stop at Waters Ave. and Anderson Rd.

Keiser University - Non-profit college offering Specialists, Associate, Bachelors' and Graduate Degrees in a range of fields from Accounting to Health Services Administration. As part of the HART Adult Student Fare program, Keiser University students receive 25% off the regular price of a 31-day pass! Keiser University is accessible via Route 16 at Waters Ave. at Savarese Blvd.

A bunch of chain restaurants call Waters Ave. home, however it also features the original Yummy House. Known for their traditional no frills Cantonese cooking, Yummy House is consistently named one of Tampa Bay's best Chinese Restaurants. The Route 16 stop is directly in front of the restaurant at Waters Ave. and Saulray St.

Hop on board and join the roughly 267k riders that rode Route 16 in FY2015!

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

With a diverse service
area roughly the size of Rhode Island, Hillsborough County provides a
great mix of urban, suburban and rural destinations for our riders.
Think about the destinations that you can see and experience with the
HART transportation network!

This week, we take a trip down Nebraska Ave. along the Route 2!

Route 2 was one of the 1st routes to extend to midnight/weekend

Route 2 operates from Downtown Tampa to the University of South Florida area via Nebraska Ave. The route provides Monday-Sunday service with weekday hours from 4:25 a.m. - 12:15 a.m. and weekend hours from 5:15 a.m. - 12:15 a.m.

The More You Know. The Route 2 corridor has historically been known for its transit roots. Service along the corridor dates back to the old Tampa Bus Company and before that, streetcars operated throughout the area. Fast forward over 50 years, and route 2 was actually the first HART route to go over 1 million annual passengers.